Shock reducing car structure



May 12, 1936.

w. P.,KE| ETT SHOCK REDUCING CAR STRUCTURE Filed March 29, i935 3 sheets-sheet 1 u ,w A v uw? ,O O 7 v 15@ Mh INM x @a Q f. V O L V 5 \m P LS MH m QL Y O A O ay 12 1936. w. P. KELLETT SHOCK REDUCINGCAR STRUCTURE Filed Maron 29, 1955 5 sheets-sheet 2 May 12, 1936. w. P. KELLETT SHOCK REDUCING CAR STRUCTURE Filed March 29, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ewa.

Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFIcE 7 Claims.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a structure particularly adaptable to railway cars and especially to cars adapted tocarry removable goods containers, which will materially lessen the damage resulting from impact shocks to the car, the container and the goods being transported, and to accomplish this desired result in an economical structure whichl Will require no servicing beyond that which is required in ordinary rolling stock and in which the load supporting part movable upon the car frame will be of the least possible dead weight.

Under existing railroad operating conditions it is the common practice in making up trains to couple the cars by impact and switching operations have been so severely increased due to increase in coupling speed that losses through breakage of goods and damage to cars are extremely heavy. Numerous attempts have been made to overcome this condition and the use of heavy compression springs both in the draft gear and between the car frame and body have been developed to a considerable extent, but there are many conditions entailed with such constructions that require elimination from the standpoint of initial and maintenance cost as well as successful operation in service.

The principal feature of this invention consists in the novel construction of theY car frame and of a platform of relatively narrow width supported upon contact areas on the frame suicient to support the maximum load carried by the platform and permitting relative longitudinal sliding movement between the platform and car frame under impact shocks, spring means being provided between said platform and carl frame to limit the longitudinal movement of the platform and to maintain the platform in a dened position under normal operating conditions.

A further and important feature is to devise a structure which can be economically manufactured and which will maintain an operable alignment of relatively movable supports under the stresses of use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the deck of a railway car constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the car illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the length of car shown in Figure 1, one half thereof showing the under structure of the deck with-the deck surface removed, and the other half showing the car frame which underlies the deck.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an elevational end view and part vertical section through the bolster structure' and the frame on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an' enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken through the deck and bolster at the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a transverse vertical section through the car deck and frame on the line 1 1 of Figure 1.

In the car structure herein shown the frame I is formed of a unitary steel casting, the side members 2 being connected at intervals by the bolster structure 3 and cross webs 4 and 5 with the longitudinal truss beam members 6.

The side members 2 are raised above the truss beam members 6 and are of a box-like formation and form a longitudinal central well extending from end to end to receive the load-carrying deck structure which is of suliicient width to support the goods containers which are to be placed thereon.

A plurality of flanged web members 'l project inwardly from the inner side of the side members 2 and a flanged deck plate 8 covers the top of same from Vend to end of the frame. Y

A moveable platform or deck structure is arranged Vwithin the well of the frame I and is formed of a pair of longitudinal beams 9 which extend from end to end of the car, and a plurality of cross members I0 are rigidly secured to .these longitudinal beams and extend between and beyond same, said cross members being formed of light gauge U-shaped metal bars as shown particularly in Figure 4. At the outer end of the cross members I0 are secured the longitudinal side bars II. All of these members are Welded together and to the deck plate I 2, thus forming a very rigid, unitary platform structure.

The top surface of the deck plate has arranged thereon a plurality of upstanding flanges I3 which form guideways for the castor roller supports of movable goods containers which it is the prime intent of this invention to accommodate.- These guideways are arranged preferably directly over the longitudinal beams 9 of the platform. l'I'he longitudinal beams 9 form the mains supporting structure of the platform and these beams are pro-vided with friction plates I4 of suitable materials arranged at intervals on the under flange to align with the bolster and cross webs of the frame I and corresponding plates I5 are mounted on or form a part of the frame in alignment therewith.

Y Holding brackets I6 are rigidly secured to the bolster and cross members of the frame and overlap the lower flanges of the longitudinal beams 9 to hold the platform from lateral movement, butl allowing free longitudinal movement.

At the ends and in the centre of the platformk structure and arranged toward the outward sides are rigidly secured the hollow castings I'l in which are mounted the pivotal jacks I8 which Vare adapted -to hold the movable containers rigidly in position on the platform, said hollow castings Vbeing constructed to house the jacks when in Y their lowered position clear of the platform deck.

VThe bolster 3 has formed therein in vertical alignment with the centre lineof each of the vlongitudinal Vbeams 9 of the' platform structure,.- Va horizontal cylinder I9 within which there is arranged a compression spring 20, 'and at each end Vof said spring is. mounted a/plunger 2| projecting from the end of the cylinder and bearing against the end of the spring'.

Brackets 22 are rigidlyV secured to the Yunderside of the longitudinal beams 9 of the platform and extend downwardly to engage the outer'ends of the plungers 2l. plungers in close engaging contact with the brackets 22v duringthe normal operation .of the car,

Vthere being two sets of such plungers'an'd spring structures on each bolster, but in the event ofl a car being subjected to "extraordinary impact shocks the platform' will move longitudinally upon the engaging rubbing plates I4-'-|5: against Vthe compression of the springs, which movement' may occur from either end. Y

Normal impact shocks will not disturb the position of the platform upon the car frame, but

when abnormal shocks occur the frictional resistance of the platform proportionalto they load thereon will ultimately yield and allow the frame platform and its load. When the least displace-r of the'car to move longitudinally relative to the ment occurs the springs come into operation to offer an increasing resistance to such movement, and the movement is ultimately arrested.

The energy expended in thev impact is stored in the springs, and upon the cessation of the impact this energyV is exerted to restore "the platform to its normal relative position on the frame.. Y

It will be understood that with a Vstructure such as described, goods containers mounted on Y the platform and the goods the-rein will be relieved of the destructive effect of abnormal impact shocks with the resultant saving Yin damage to property and also damage to the rolling stock as the impetus of the loads will be absorbed in the springs.

The use of springs as impact absorbing agents. is of course very old, but it will be understood Y will be necessary.

VThe forming ofthe longitudinal well within the* frame is a very important feature *in orderl to provide a car platform of standard width while limiting the moving platform to theV lightest possible weight for the Vstrength required.

This invention is herein shown as applied particularly to the railway type of car, but it will bieV understood that it can be applied to trucks or other forms of vehicles and its use with separate goods containers isextremely desirable in order to avoid damage to the container structures.

What I claim as my invention isz'- 1. A car havingY a flat sectional deckv the respective sections of which are disposed in trans- Vverse succession across the deck' and relatively The spring'20 holds both displaceable in opposition to frictional braking resistance under shock influence.

2. A car having a, flat deck divided in the transverse directionV into separate relatively displace-V able deck sections extending longitudinally of thecar, one of said deck sectionsrbeing adapted to receive and support the load, and means for Vrestricting relative longitudinal shock displacement of said deck sections.

3. A car. having a flat deck formed of longitudinally extending relatively displaceable sections disposed side-by-side in a substantially horizontal plane, one' of said sections being adapted to receiveand support the load for shock-relief displacement relative to the other deck section, means for .frictionally resisting the relative displacement of. said respective deck sections from a normalrelation', and means'for constantly urging said relatively displaceable deck sections into normal'relation.y Y

"4t A car comprisinga frame having side portions raised above the main area and extending longitudinallly from end to end and also having a"plur.ality of support areas arranged between said: raisedfsides, a platform arranged in the well formedbetween the raised sides of said frame to frictionally engage said Vsupport areas and having its topgsubstantially level with the top ofthe raised' sides of said frame, and spring means forv holding said platform in an operating position onV said frame.

'5. A car comprising a framie having a depressed well formation extending longitudinally leaving raised side deck portions, frictional contactsur-y faces disposed within the well formation, longitudinally4 displaceable platform means accommodated in'said well formation for frictional contact with the frictional contact surfaces thereof to restrictv longitudinali displacement of the platform means in the well formation,' said platform meansl having the upper surface substantially flush with the upper surface of the raised side deckvpontions and adapted to directly receive `and support the entire load, and means col-operative'- ly interposed between said recessed platform means and the car frame for applying a positioning `inu'ence to said platform means. Y

6. A car having a unitary rigid cast frame formed with longitudinal truss sections and transverse supports, said transverse supports having a series of horizontal areas arranged throughoutv its length at either side of the longi tudinal centre, all of said areas being machinesurfacedto present contact surfaces in a common horizontal plane, a platform structure having contact areas to coincide withV and frictionally engagethe machined 4areas on said frame, compression springs` housed in said frame, and brackets on said platform held by said springs, the machinexsurfacing of the contact surfaces of the rigid'cast frame ensuring uniform pressure dis-V tribution and frictional Contact between the respective complements of contact surfaces.

'7. Ari-lat deck car comprising a frame having flat side deck areas extending above a central well, a platfonn for supporting movable con- Y tain'ers'andl Vof a minimum width to carry said:

containers mounted for longitudinal movement in` said well, said: platform comprising a central flat deck section presenting Aan upper surface in substantial'hori'zontal flush' continuation of the upper surface of the flat side deck areas, friction supportsiforsaid platform, andsprin'g' means for resistingiendwise movement of saidplatforin. i

VWILLIAM PLATTS KELLE' TT. 

